Bio

Dr. Stewart Patrick is the senior fellow and director of the program on International Institutions and Global Governance (IIGG) at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). His areas of expertise include multilateral cooperation in the management of global issues; U.S. policy toward international institutions, including the United Nations; and the challenges posed by fragile, failing, and post-conflict states. Dr. Patrick is the author of the new book Weak Links: Fragile States, Global Threats, and International Security (Oxford University Press, May 2011), and he writes the blog, The Internationalist.

From 2005 to April 2008, he was research fellow at the Center for Global Development. He directed the center's research and policy engagement on the intersection between security and development, with a particular focus on the relationship between weak states and transnational threats and on the policy challenges of building effective institutions of governance in fragile settings. He also served as a professorial lecturer in international relations/conflict management at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies.

From September 2002 to January 2005, Dr. Patrick served on the secretary of state's policy planning staff, with lead staff responsibility for U.S. policy toward Afghanistan and a range of global and transnational issues. His portfolio included conducting analysis and providing recommendations for U.S. policies on weak and failing states, post-conflict reconstruction, development, refugees and migration, international law enforcement, and global health affairs. He joined the staff as an international affairs fellow at CFR.

Prior to government service, Dr. Patrick was from 1997 to 2002 a research associate at the Center on International Cooperation at New York University. In that capacity he designed and ran two multi-scholar research programs on post-conflict reconstruction and on multilateralism and U.S. foreign policy. He also taught U.S. foreign policy at NYU as an adjunct professor of political science.

Dr. Patrick graduated from Stanford University and received his doctorate in international relations, as well as two master's degrees, from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of five books. He has also authored numerous articles and chapters on the subjects of multilateral cooperation, state-building, and U.S. foreign policy.

Dr. Patrick lives in Bethesda, Maryland. He has three children.

Improving International Cooperation to Tackle Shared Challenges

In the twenty-first century, no single country can confront its major foreign policy challenges alone. Terrorists and disease hopscotch across borders, while financial crises contaminate economies around the world and climate change threatens the entire planet—to name only a few of the world's shared challenges. The rise of new powers, the mounting influence of nonstate actors, and the growing importance of regional and subregional organizations are all symptomatic of a shifting world order. This new world necessitates effective multilateral action more than ever before. Rising powers need to be integrated, and global institutions need to design strategies for collaborating with increasingly important regional organizations. The International Institutions and Global Governance Program (IIGG), which I direct, analyzes how to achieve these goals in Working Papers, Policy Innovation Memoranda, and Council Special Reports. Our award-winning Global Governance Monitor and Global Governance Report Card also provide comprehensive analysis of international cooperation on an interactive platform. In my blog, The Internationalist, and on Twitter, I analyze global governance issues in the news. Finally, my roundtable meetings gather policymakers, practitioners, and leading scholars to generate innovative and practical solutions for today's greatest global governance challenges.

This project is made possible through the support of the Robina Foundation.

Council of Councils: Connecting Think Tanks Around the World

While the United States has often stood as a leader in global governance in recent decades, the participation of other major powers has always been critical. In an era of globalization, consultation and cooperation with other major powers is even more crucial. Today, governments around the world face opportunities and threats that transcend borders. To help direct high-level attention to considering how countries can cooperate on today's most pressing challenges, I direct the Council of Councils (CoC) initiative. The CoC is a network of twenty-four international foreign policy think tanks dedicated to understanding and improving multilateral cooperation. As part of the CoC, influential opinion leaders from developed and developing countries gather alongside emerging powers for an annual meeting in the United States and for regional meetings in CoC member countries. These events allow policy analysts from around the world to develop innovative policy responses to global challenges, with the ultimate purpose of injecting the group's ideas into high-level foreign policy circles within member countries. In addition to facilitating discussions between members, the network connects citizens around the world to a diversity of perspectives from CoC scholars in expert briefs, which are hosted on a dedicated webpage.

This project is made possible through the support of the Robina Foundation.

The Future of U.S. Sovereignty in an Age of Global Challenges

Traditional ideas of sovereignty are being tested in revolutionary ways as the velocity and volume of cross-border flows accelerates, new transnational threats emerge, and nonstate actors leverage technology to exert unprecedented influence over international affairs. These have all resulted in new trends in international law. While state sovereignty remains the cornerstone of the international world order and a prerequisite for effective international cooperation, the nature of how states apply and exercise sovereignty is shifting. In my forthcoming book, The Future of U.S. Sovereignty in an Age of Global Challenges, I argue that to advance its national interests in the twenty-first century, the United States must adopt a more pragmatic and flexible attitude toward national sovereignty. As global interdependence deepens, the only way to preserve national security and advance economic prosperity is through effective multilateral cooperation, including, at times, voluntarily delegating authority to international bodies. Doing so will enable the United States to continue to shape its destiny and promote international outcomes that are consistent with U.S. preferences.

This project is made possible through the support of the Robina Foundation.

Featured Publications

Stewart Patrick contends that assumptions about the threats posed by failing states--or "weak links"--are based on anecdotal arguments and challenges the conventional wisdom through systematic empirical analysis.

All Publications

A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: Egypt faces turmoil during transition; the UN Security Council meets to discuss African conflicts and the protection of journalists worldwide; and North and South Korea resume Kaesong talks.

Asked by Felix Seidler, from Institute for Security Policy at the University of Kiel, Germany Author: Stewart M. PatrickJune 3, 2013

Despite its strategic "rebalancing" toward Asia, the United States is unlikely to sponsor a collective defense organization for the Asia-Pacific, for at least three reasons: insufficient solidarity among diverse regional partners, fear of alienating China, and the perceived advantages of bilateral and ad-hoc security arrangements.

A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: South Korean President Park visits the United States; Pakistan holds its general election; and French president Francois Hollande and Russian president Vladimir Putin mark one-year anniversaries in office.

The UNSC is unlikely to be altered any time soon. Any resolution to expand the UNSC would need to garner the support of two-thirds of the 193 members of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), or 129 votes, as well as endorsement by the five permanent members to succeed.

Stewart Patrick writes about the theoretical and practical implications of significant changes to the international political system over the past two decades in Geir Lundestad's International Relations Since the End of the Cold War: New and Old Dimensions.

Despite its booming economy, Mexico continues to struggle with alarmingly high levels of violence linked to drugs and organized crime. This video primer examines the crisis and explores policy options for Mexico and the United States.

A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: India takes over the UN Security Council's presidency; the UN Security Council debates women, peace and security; and parliamentary elections take place in Ukraine.

A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: the U.S. vows to hunt down the perpetrators of the Benghazi attack; the UN General Assembly opens; pressure mounts on Iran; and the UN Human Rights Council meets in Geneva.

A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: World powers convene in Geneva for a crisis meeting on Syria; Mexico holds presidential elections; and the U.S. House and Senate go into recess.

A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: The UN Security Council debates the mission in Syria; the deadline approaches for the U.S. Congress to pass a stalled highway bill; and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime launches the 2012 World Drug Report.

As world leaders prepare for the Group of Twenty nations summit June 18-20 in Los Cabos, Mexico, CFR's Stewart M. Patrick talks with Enrique Berruga of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations about the upcoming meeting and the G20's future.

With drug legalization increasingly debated by world leaders, CFR's Stewart Patrick and Phil Williams of the University of Pittsburgh discuss the explosion of transnational crime in a globalized world.

The United States and the Future of Global Governance roundtable series will focus on core global governance challenges and proposals for fundamental institutional reform. Topics will include overhaul of the UN Security Council; the reform and expansion of the G8; prospects for a global counterterrorism organization; the adaptation of U.S. sovereignty to a global age; the trade-offs between formal institutions and ad hoc coalitions; and the domestic and legislative preconditions for sustained U.S. multilateral engagement. This roundtable series is sponsored by CFR's Program on International Institutions and Global Governance and is supported by a generous grant from the Robina Foundation.

The U.S.-UN roundtable meeting series seeks to organize high-level discussions with senior United Nations officials, including officials from member states and regional organizations, on timely issues related to conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and international security. A core group of selected invitees from member state governments, the private sector, and nongovernmental communities participate in these discussions. The goal of these meetings is to raise awareness of the role of the United Nations in addressing critical issues of peace and security. This meeting series is cosponsored by CFR's Center for Preventive Action and the Program on International Institutions and Global Governance.

The United States has a fundamental stake in a more effective UN system--that is, improving the UN's many specialized agencies, departments, and programs. In the Making Multilateralism Work workshop series, the International Institutions and Global Governance (IIGG) program will engage U.S. and UN officials on practical steps to improve the UN system's performance in priority areas, including international peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, and human rights. Each workshop will culminate in a meeting report and a briefing memo with recommendations for the U.S. government.

Increasingly, regional and subregional organizations and initiatives complement--and compete with--global institutions in addressing shared threats and overcoming collective action problems. Yet the depth and performance of these institutions and arrangements varies hugely across regions and issue areas. Few have analyzed the risks and opportunities of these trends -- and how the United States can and should respond to them. To fill this gap, the IIGG program is organizing meetings on Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Some of these events will occur in the United States, others in the respective regions.

Risk and Failing States

Speakers:

Christine Cheng, Lecturer in International Relations, Department of War Studies, King's College London, Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow and Director of the Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Initiative, and Director of the Women and Foreign Policy Program, Council on Foreign Relations, Stewart M. Patrick, Senior Fellow and Director of the International Institutions and Global Governance Program, Council on Foreign Relations

Government Efforts to Promote Conservation and Sustainability: Are They Working?

Speakers:

Stewart M. Patrick, Senior Fellow and Director, Program on International Institutions and Global Governance, Council on Foreign Relations, Tebelelo Seretse, Ambassador of the Republic of Botswana to the United States, Katherine Sierra, Senior Fellow for Global Economy and Development, Brookings Institution; former Vice President for Sustainable Development, World Bank

Democratic Internationalism: An American Grand Strategy for a Post-exceptionalist Era

Speakers:

G. John Ikenberry, Albert G. Milbank Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Princeton University, Daniel Deudney, Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins, David Brooks, Columnist, The New York Times

Presider:

Stewart M. Patrick, Senior Fellow and Director of the International Institutions and Global Governance Program, Council on Foreign Relations

Speaker:

Presiders:

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy and Deputy Director of the Women and Foreign Policy Program, Council on Foreign Relations, Stewart M. Patrick, Senior Fellow and Director of the International Institutions and Global Governance Program, Council on Foreign Relations

Why Women Matter in Peacebuilding

Speakers:

Michelle Bachelet, Undersecretary General and Executive Director, UN Women, Carla Koppell, Senior Coordinator, Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, USAID, Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini, Standby Team of Senior Mediation Advisers, United Nations (2011-2012) and Cofounder, International Civil Society Action Network, Rosa Brooks, Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center, and Former Special Coordinator for Rule of Law and Humanitarian Policy, U.S. Department of Defense

Presiders:

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, Fellow and Deputy Director of Women and Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations, Stewart M. Patrick, Senior Fellow and Director of the International Institutions and Global Governance Program, Council on Foreign Relations

Presider:

Transnational Organized Crime as a Threat to Peace and Security

Discussants:

Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; Director-General, United Nations Office in Vienna, M. Cherif Bassiouni, Distinguished Research Professor of Law Emeritus and President Emeritus, International Human Rights Law Institute, DePaul University College of Law

American Leadership and Global Governance in an Age of Nonpolarity

Introductory Speaker:

Speakers:

R. Nicholas Burns, Former Under Secretary for Political Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Ellen Laipson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Henry L. Stimson Center, David F. Gordon, Head of Research, Eurasia Group

Moderator:

Stewart M. Patrick, Senior Fellow and Director, Program on International Institutions, Council on Foreign Relations

CFR Symposium on NATO at 60, Panel Three: NATO and Afghanistan

Speakers:

Jean-Marie Guéhenno, Former UN Under Secretary General for Peacekeeping, Barnett R. Rubin, Center on International Cooperation, NYU, Ali A. Jalali, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, NDU; Former Afghan Minister of Interior, Stewart M. Patrick, Council on Foreign Relations

The Best Laid Plans: The Origins of American Multilateralism and the Dawn of the Cold War

Speaker:

Stewart M. Patrick, Senior Fellow and Director, Program on International Institutions and Global Governance, Council on Foreign Relations; Author, The Best Laid Plans: Origins of American Multilateralism and the Dawn of the Cold War

Stewart Patrick discusses President Obama's landmark speech at the sixty-ninth session of the United Nations General Assembly and what it means for the future of U.S. leadership in combating terrorism and countering challenges to world order.

Stewart Patrick offers preview of world events in the coming week: World powers convene in Geneva to discuss Syria; the EU considers peacekeepers for the Central African Republic; and Latin American and Caribbean officials meet in Cuba.

Stewart Patrick reviews the 68th United Nations General Assembly meeting and responds to telephone calls and electronic communications. Topics included the possibility of a change in U.S.-Iran relations and the latest development in Syria.

In a piece detailing the increasingly problematic trade of drugs and illicit weapons in Guinea-Bissau, Patrick explains to Tom Bowman of NPR that the country is a quintessential narco-state with a monthly trade of over $300 million in cocaine. The interview and the piece also discuss the extradition of five drug runners suspected of providing surface-to-air missiles to Columbia in exchange for drugs and implicates the military of Guinea-Bissau in the transnational criminal network.

Listen to Stewart Patrick's post-election interview with Tim Farley on "The Morning Briefing," a daily program of the Syrius XM President of the United States (POTUS) Channel. The morning after the United States reelects President Barack Obama, Patrick analyzes the major challenges that the Obama administration must address—including cooperating with Israeli partners to discourage a preventive strike and bolstering support for the rebels in Syria to stop the escalating atrocities against civilians. Follow the Morning Brief on Twitter @MorningBriefing or on Facebook.

On Conversations With History, Patrick discusses the criteria for defining fragile states and for creating benchmarks for evaluating whether they pose national security threats with reference to terrorism proliferation, criminal activity, energy insecurity and infectious disease. He argues that in most cases the links are tenuous and the focus on one category obscures the challenges these states actually pose for the U.S. and the community of nations. He proposes that the United States focus on an early warning system that anticipates problem areas, identify local environments that shape harmful outcomes, engage in multilateral solutions, and de-emphasize the over reliance on military solutions.

Stewart Patrick challenges the assumption in U.S. foreign policy that weak and failing states are universally threatening to global stability, and argues that the danger is more nuanced and contingent on many factors.